Councillors to lead rally against plans to build hotel at Belle Vue Park in Sudbury

District councillors Luke Cresswell and John Nunn are spearheading a campaign to secure the future of Belle Vue Park in Sudbury..Babergh District Council has proposed building a hotel on part of the park, prompting concerns from both councillors....PICTURE: Mecha Morton. (7294354)

Opposition councillors are staging a rally against plans to convert part of a park in Sudbury into a hotel, in a bid to preserve a cherished area of green space.

The idea of building a hotel on a plot of land in Belle Vue Park has been outlined in Babergh District Council’s Vision for Prosperity document – a blueprint setting out how Sudbury and the wider area should develop in the future.

District councillors Luke Cresswell and John Nunn, who fear any development could be detrimental to the future of the park, are spearheading a campaign against the plans.

Cllr Cresswell has raised concerns over the use of taxpayers’ money to fund the development.

“We’re not necessarily against a hotel being built in Sudbury, but this should be financed by a private company, not the council,” he said.

“The Tories would have us take a risk with taxpayers’ money. A hotel must also be built in the right place.

“We will not stand idly by while the Tories build on land currently dedicated to our park; we need to protect and improve our park for future children and families.”

Cllr Nunn warned of the potential consequences of an increased level of congestion in the area.

“We also have big concerns about the impact on traffic that a hotel would have on an already busy junction,” he said.

John Ward, leader of Babergh District Council, disputed claims that the park’s future is in jeopardy.

“I’m surprised that my council colleagues feel the need to have a pre-election rally to ‘save’ Belle Vue Park, when the park is categorically not under threat,” he said.

“We stand by our previous commitment that any redevelopment of this site must secure the best possible outcome for Sudbury and the district as a whole.

“This means helping the local economy grow, providing jobs for local people and retaining Belle Vue Park as a green, open space.”

The rally sets off from the main entrance of Belle Vue Park on April 6 at 10am.